August Anniversaries

8/1	1 YR	Deborah Akins	South Lake
8/2	18 YRS	Eric Kopp	Okeechobee News
8/4	3 YRS	Sandra Perry	North Valley
8/5	5 YRS	David Blatt	Delaware State News
8/8	6 YRS	Olivia Littleton	Milford Chronicle
8/8	4 YRS	Shirley Jackson	Dorchester Banner
8/10	11 YRS	Richard Crumbacker	Crisfield Times
8/12	21 YRS	Dale Conyers	Caloosa Belle
8/13	30 YRS	Richard Dyer	East Valley
8/15	12 YRS	Timothy Buzzard	Delaware Printing
8/15	1 YR	Robert Zimberoff	Dorchester Banner
8/17	30 YRS	Deborah Hanson	Valley Printing
8/17	19 YRS	Barbara Calfee	Caloosa Belle
8/18	3 YRS	Penny Bruns	West Valley
8/18	1 YR	Virginia Palmer	East Valley
8/19	4 YRS	Karla Akmentins	Delaware State News
8/21	6 YRS	Kelly Mitchell	Valley Printing
8/22	1 YR	Samantha Bennett	Delaware Printing
8/23	18 YRS	Charlene Patti	West Valley
8/25	1 YR	Andre Monk	Delaware Printing
8/26	5 YRS	Juliana Orozco Mateo	Valley Printing
8/27	2 YRS	John Salvate	Valley Printing
8/29	6 YRS	Craig Anderson	Delaware State News
8/29	1 YR	Robert Hurley	Delaware Printing
8/30	18 YRS	Marc Tropio	Valley Printing

August Birthdays

8/1	Christopher Keesser	Delaware Printing
8/1	Charles Murphy	Okeechobee News
8/1	Marc Clery	Delaware State News
8/1	Joshua Martinez	North Valley
8/4	Jeannie Quiggle	Valley Printing
8/6	Deborah Devlin	Delaware State News
8/6	Garrett Satterfield	Delaware Printing
8/12	Christopher Williams	West Valley
8/12	Donald George	Delaware Printing
8/13	Roger Leslie	Delaware Printing
8/13	Tonda Parks	Delaware State News
8/14	Thomas Byrd	Delaware State News
8/15	Bret McKeand	Arizona Region
8/16	Mary Planeta	West Valley
8/19	Phillip Frerichs	Delaware State News
8/22	Robert Martin	Valley Printing
8/24	Priscilla Sagarnaga	Valley Printing
8/26	Connie Thomson	Corporate Services
8/28	Kenneth Parks	Delaware Printing
8/29	Thomas Bugbee	Delaware Printing
8/29	Richard Bolas	West Valley

OPEN ENROLLMENT: JULY 17-21

As you have seen in the news, health care costs have been increasing substantially over the years. Last year, Independent received a whopping 17.89% increase to the plan! A plan design change was made to the base plan (low premium/high deductible) that brought the base plan in line with high deductible plans associated with HSA (Health Savings Account). 

This year, Independent’s medical plan expenses are expected to be $1,213,430 for year-end July 2017. The good news is that the increase for this year’s renewal is only 5.25%.  In order to receive this concession, the plan design did change slightly for the High Premium/Low Deductible (Buy-Up) Option.  However, there is no change for the tobacco-free employee only premium.

The plan design for the Low Premium/High Deductible Plan (now called the Base Plan) will have no changes.  However, the High Premium/Low Deductible Plan (now called the Buy-Up Plan) will have a slight change in the prescription copay from 15/30/60 to 15/75/100.  The low premium/high deductible already has a similar prescription copay in place. The growth in spending has been linked to the rising use of prescription drugs, new medical innovations and treatments.

Medical:

For the 2017-2018 Plan Year, Independent will continue to subsidize the employee only premium at a significant percentage in all levels of 70%. The dependent premium will be paid entirely by the employee. The smoker surcharge will continue to remain at 30%.

These plans offer in-network coverage only. There are no Out-of-Network benefits. EPO members can access In-Network PPO providers anywhere in the nation. Both options carry the ACA out of pocket maximum of $6,850 (single)/$13,200 (family).  The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's website bluecares.com provides online access to the most current listing of providers. EPO members can also find network providers by calling a BlueCard customer service representative at 800. 810.BLUE (2583).

1. Base Plan (Low premium/High Deductible Option)  is an EPO plan  with a $3,000 employee only deductible and a $6,000 family deductible.  This plan’s design is to foster better understanding of medical costs and the value of discounts prior to making our health care choices. Preventive care will continue to be covered at 100%, the deductible will not apply. The costs are:

*Regular per pay period premium for medical & prescription coverage will be $83 for Employee only: $404 for Employee + Child(ren); $720 for Employee + Spouse; and, $946 for Family.

*There is a 30% discount for non-tobacco users. Those per pay period premiums will be $64 for Employee only; $311 for Employee + Child(ren), $554 for Employee Spouse; and, $728 for Family.

2 Buy-Up Plan (High Premium/Low Deductible) : The Buy-Up Plan is also an  EPO which has a deductible of $500 for employee only coverage and $1,500 for employees covering their dependents as well . Preventive care will continue to be covered at 100%, the deductible will not apply. The costs are:

      

*The regular per pay premium will be: $150 for Employee only, $463 for Employee + Child (ren), $828 for Employee +spouse; $1,088 for Family.

*There is a 30% discount for non-tobacco users.  Those per pay period will be: $115 for (no change from current) Employee only, $356 for Employee + Child(ren), $637 for Employee + spouse, $837 for Family.

To help control your out-of-pocket costs, we encourage employees and dependents to take advantage of the Plan’s preventive benefits. Your annual physical, for example, is 100% covered --- with no co-pay or deductible cost to you. Schedule your annual physical and follow the plan’s guidelines for staying healthy. Please also note that if you purchase Voluntary Accident Insurance, you will receive a reimbursement of $50 for seeing your Physician for an Annual Physical! 

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Dental: The Plan’s carrier is United Concordia, a subsidiary of Highmark DE.  Orthodontic care continues to be part of the dental plan.  There is a slight reduction in premium.  The bi-weekly premiums for the optional Dental plan are:

$12 (unchanged) - Employee only

$23 (from $24)  - Employee child (ren)

$28 (from $29) - Employee spouse

$38 (from $39) - Family

Voluntary Accident Coverage – The Plan’s carrier is Reliance Standard.  This coverage is 100% employee paid.  The bi-weekly premium remains unchanged for the optional Accident Coverage plan: e: Employee Only:  $7.50, Employee + Spouse: $12.00, Employee + Child(ren):  $15.50, Family: $20.50

Life Insurance and Long Term Disability – There are no changes in the rates for life and long term disability insurances. Any changes in your rate are as a result of your age and salary change respectively.

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Health Advocate - Health Advocate services continue to be available to you, your family and extended family.  For extended family members to utilize this service, they need only to reference they are your relative who is employed by Independent Newsmedia.  Health Advocate can assist you and your family with issues ranging from understanding an EOB, to assistance in finding daycare.  Health Advocate can also assist with matters related to claim denials/appeals, locating a Physician and can even schedule the appointment for you.  In the current landscape of Healthcare, everyone can use a little help.  Health Advocate is there for you to do so, at no cost to you.

You only need to re-enroll if you wish to make a change to your current selections. If you do not make changes during Open Enrollment, the only other time you may do so is if you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).  A QLE includes:  Birth or Adoption of a child, Death, Divorce, Court ordered coverage, or Marriage. The Self Service Open Enrollment site will be available from July 17^th– July 21^th.

[ClickHERE to log onto Ceridian Self Service for open enrollment. The ENROLLMENT flag that appears at the top will continue to display until open enrollment ends.]

This Bud's For ..............................

Thank you (Matt Roy) for such a well written article, "Legislators talk positions, priorities at forum." Such forums can lead to rambling, sometimes disjointed, stories. You held it together well. Good job!
   Marlene Lucas

   Sun City

This Bud's For .............

BOOK FRIENDS STORY: A big thank you goes out, again, to Rusty Bradshaw for a great story about our new Book Friends project. We always appreciate publicity about what we do. Charlotte Klose, with support from Judy Wannamaker, has started something of which we are very proud. It is always good to read good news in a good paper by a good writer telling about good workers. That is a good description of the Book Friends program in the Sun City Independent by Rusty Bradshaw telling of the hard work of Charlotte Klose and her volunteer readers. Good Goin’!

• Tom Everitt, Friends of Sun City Libraries newsletter editor